Bo's Budding Blossoms
by Beth C
Summary: This is the first part in the Bo’s allergy series. Bo discovers the allergies he had as a child have come back to haunt him. There will be at least 3 more parts to this story.


Bo's Budding Blossoms

Beth C

Summary: This is the first part in the Bo's allergy series. Bo discovers the allergies he had as a child have come back to haunt him. There will be at least 3 more parts to this story.

Rating: PG

Feedback is welcome: 

Author's Note: This is my first ever Dukes Fanfic. I just got the DVD box set last week and have been dying to write those Good Ol Boys!

Disclaimer: Not mine but I sure wish they were!

The engine compartment of the orange stock car, the General Lee, was one place Bo Duke usually liked to be. It was one place that he felt the most competent and successful. It was to him, a very practical way to pass some time.

However there were limits. When he had started the replacement of the main head gasket, the sky had been blue and the air had been crisp. A nice summer day in Georgia. That nice day quickly turned into a scorcher, with the sun beating down upon his back. He had removed his shirt some time ago, for the little protection it actually offered was quickly replaced with the chafe of cloth against his skin. It had seemed more reasonable to take the darn thing off and live with the heat rather than put up with the feel of it on his heated flesh.

Sweat would bead up and slowly drip down his bronze, well muscled back and there was little he could do to stop it. His hands were deep in the engine compartment, covered in grease and grime. He was almost done, he had only a few more bolts to tighten before he could take a much needed break and get some cool lemonade that he knew his cousin Daisy had been making.

He was working on the last two bolts when a cooling breeze blew across the farm, relieving some of the perspiration from his skin. The air felt good and he relaxed into the little bit of relief it provided.

He realized a bit too late that the breeze also brought something else with it. Something he did not need right now. The air was filled with the scent of fresh pollen from Daisy's flower garden. Pollen that Bo was definitely allergic to.

He had fought with her about planting the darn thing in the first place. He disliked the multicolored blooms for more reasons that just his allergies, but that had been the main point. She had argued that the blossoms provided her with peace and something to make her feel productive on the farm.

Uncle Jessie had to step in and settle the matter. Daisy would be allowed to have her flower garden, but it would have to be put on the south side of the farm, around the back of the farmhouse and away from any place that Bo frequented. The garden was set up two weeks ago.

Today the wind just happened to be blowing from the south. Bo felt his eyes begin to water as he struggled to hold back his normal reaction to the pollen assaulting him. He wiggled his nose fruitlessly, as he was unable to rub it. He tried to breathe through his mouth only, but even that was difficult to do when you were immersed in an engine.

He knew he was fighting a loosing battle as another breeze blew in from the south. No matter how he fought it, he wasn't going to win. He scrunched his face and sniffed deeply, trying to rid his nose of what he now knew was inevitable.

Finally he could hold back no more, and his hands slipped on the socket wrench he was using as his eyes slammed shut automatically. He turned his head and began to sneeze freely,

_"KEHT-chhhhh! Heh-HEKT-chuhh! HahChuhhh!" _

Luke Duke was just coming around the side of the house, pulling strands of hay from his dark hair when he saw his blond-haired cousin hunched over by the General. Thinking at first that Bo had hurt himself, he had started to run, but slowed when he heard what was really wrong with the two years younger man.

Luke tried not to smirk. He had told Bo to do the engine repairs in the barn away from the sun and other elements, but his stubborn cousin had insisted on doing it in the front yard. Bo was always the more temper prone, easily provoked Duke boy. If there was a fight, Bo would be the one to throw the first punch. If there was trouble to be found, it was usually Bo that did the finding.

Luke sighed, and approached the General, where Bo was still caught up in his sneezing fit. He placed one hand on Bo's hunched over back. "You alright, Cuz?"

Bo shook his head, unable to answer as he was still sneezing harshly. "_ehh-KEHHTchhhh! Hehh-EKKTshhhh! Heh-EKKKT-chooo!"_ The relief he got from the sneezes was minimal at best. His eyes were streaming now and it was all he could do to even take in a breath of air.

Luke pulled a folded bandana out from his back pocket and shook it to open it. "Bless you." He handed the red square over to his cousin. "Here, take this."

Bo felt the fit easing now as he brought the soft cloth up to his nose. He blew hard, then wiped his sopping eyes. "Th-thanks, Cuz." His voice was a bit hoarse from the workout he had just given his lungs.

"Let's get you inside." Luke stated, and tried to steer the younger boy away from the car.

Bo started to resist at first, "I'm eh-he" He brought the cloth back up to his face and partially stifled another sneeze. _"Heh-hehhh heh-CHIIshhhhh!" _

"Bless you." Luke said again. "What you are is done for the moment. Now get your behind inside or I'll get Uncle Jessie to drag you in."

Bo nodded and held the cloth in front of his face. He could feel the beginnings of another fit starting but he forced the sneezy feeling back with sheer willpower. He allowed Luke to lead him into the front door of the farmhouse and into the sitting room.

Uncle Jessie was sitting at the kitchen table reading the Hazzard County Gazette when he heard the door open and watched his two nephews enter. Luke was leading Bo toward one of the comfortable chairs.

He folded the paper and placed it in a neat pile on the table. One look at Bo's sneezy expression told him all he needed to know. He had nursemaided that boy through his many bouts with different things he was allergic to on the farm. Thank goodness hay wasn't one of them or Luke would have been stuck with all the chores.

"Allergies acting up again, Bo?" He asked already knowing what the answer would be.

A bob of a blond head, then, "_heh-KESHhhhh! _Yes, sir." Bo answered stuffily.

Jessie got up from the table and went to one of the kitchen drawers where he took out a few white cloth squares that he kept in there. He brought one over to where Bo was sitting, wiping his nose on the bandana which was rapidly becoming useless.

"Here you go, these should be softer on your nose than that." He pressed one of them into Bo's hand. "Blow gently and take slow breaths afterwards," the Duke family patriarch advised.

Bo froze a moment, his breath caching in his lungs, _"heh-ehhhShooo! ehhhKetchhh! HahChuhhh!"_

"God Bless," Jessie said quietly. He placed the other handkerchiefs on the table next to Bo.

Luke sighed. "I found him like this when I came back from baling that hay, Uncle Jessie."

Bo unfolded the handkerchief and blew his nose. "It's those dang flowers of Daisy's." he managed to say. "I can't," his breath hitched and he swallowed to try to keep the sneeze at bay. "I can't get any work done on the General if the wind blows."

Jessie patted the boy on his shoulder. "I know, Bo. I know."

Just then Daisy entered the sitting room, having just come from her bedroom. "Uncle Jessie, do you want me to get the boys a drink?" The question died on her lips as she took in the puffed face of her youngest cousin. "Oh!"

"I'll be right back," Jessie said as he left the room. "Tend to him, will, y'all?"

A chorus of, "Yes, sir!" echoed against his retreating back.

Daisy knelt before the still shirtless form of Bo. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Bo held up one finger, to say he needed a moment before he could speak. _"ehhhKetchhh!"_ He sneezed harshly, then wiped at his reddening nose.

"Bless you, Bo!" Daisy said and handed him a fresh handkerchief from the pile Jessie had left.

"Thanks. You could cut down that dang blasted garden." He knew his tone was a bit harsh but she didn't have to suffer the way he did. "I can't seem to go outside anymore without being assaulted by those infernal flowers." He turned to Luke. "Hey, Cuz, can you get me a shirt," he paused to sneeze again. "_HahChuhhh! _Get me a shirt from my closet?" He sure was getting tired of sneezing every few seconds.

Luke nodded. "Sure thing, Bo." He quickly left the room.

Daisy sighed. "I'm sorry, Bo. I didn't know they would do this to you."

Bo sniffed back another oncoming sneeze. He rolled his swollen eyes a bit. "Well what did you think allergic meant?"

Uncle Jessie returned to the room, a washcloth, a towel and bucket of cold water in his hands. "Let's see if we can get some of that swelling down, okay?" He placed the towel and bucket on the small coffee table and dunked the washcloth in it.

Bo sighed with relief as the cold cloth touched his sore eyes. He let Jessie wash the traces of pollen off his face and chest.

Luke came back with one of Bo's T-shirts. "Here you go, Bo."

Daisy watched them minister to Bo and stepped back. This was her fault that her cousin was suffering. If she hadn't insisted on the flowers her conscience advised her. She knew Bo had allergy problems when he was a child, but she thought he had grown out of them as he hadn't had a full blown fit in years.

That's because Uncle Jessie removed anything from the farm that Bo had been allergic to, her mind reminded her. She sighed and stepped outside.

She walked over to where the garden was. The rows of colorful flowers had taken root nicely and in all reality it was lovely. She turned her head back to look at the house and her acute hearing could pick up another round of sneezes from her cousin.

She sighed again. She wasn't going to have him suffer. The garden would have to go. It had been a nice gesture on both the part of Bo and Jessie to allow her to even plant them in the first place. She stood there for a few minutes and just contemplated how complicated she had made things.

Finally she walked back to the house. She would have to get Luke's help to get them all dug up and disposed of, but she was sure he wouldn't mind. As she entered the room, she found Bo looking a bit better. He had put the shirt on and his sneezing had tapered off. Luke and Uncle Jessie were sitting on the sofa.

"There you are," her Uncle said. "We were just wonderin where you got off to."

She bowed her head, her long dark hair falling down around her face. "I just thought I'd go outside for a bit." She took a breath then lifted her head and looked at Luke. "I'm gonna need your help."

"My help?" he said a bit surprised. "What for?"

She looked at Bo and touched his blond head gently. "I'm gonna get rid of the garden."

Bo's head shot up. "Oh, Daisy, you don't have to-" he broke off and looked to his Uncle, "I mean, I didn't mean it, Daisy."

She shook her head and kneeled before him. "I should have listened to you from the start, Bo. I can't stand to see you suffer over some silly flowers. Your health means more to me than they do."

Bo turned his head away to sneeze softly into the hanky, _"Heh-Chishhh!"_ He wiped his nose and ducked his head in embarrassment. "Excuse me."

"Bless you," Daisy said.

"Thanks, and really, I mean, you worked so hard on it, I'd hate to see it destroyed." Bo said sincerely. "We can work something out, can't we, Uncle Jessie?" His blue eyes searched the older man's, hoping for a solution.

Jessie was stroking his white beard thoughtfully. "Well, I do have one idea but I'm not sure if it will work."

"What?" Bo asked.

"I was thinking, if we put a type of greenhouse up around the garden, it would keep the wind off the flowers and the pollen out of the air."

Luke snapped his fingers. "I know where we could get some of the material we could use for it too. Old Man Teeter had an old greenhouse that was destroyed in the last storm. He's been wanting us to clear off that patch of farm for the past month. We could ask him if he would mind if we took the stuff and used it. Daisy's garden is much smaller than his was. I'm sure there would be enough material." His eyes sparkled as his mind mentally furnished plans.

Daisy looked from her uncle, to Luke and finally to Bo. "I'm leaving it up to you, Bo."

Bo smiled at her, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I say let's go for it." He shrugged. "If it don't work, we can always tear down the garden later, right?"

Daisy nodded. "And I'd do it. It's not worth risking your health over."

"I know, Daisy, I know." He reached over and gave her a hug.

Luke stood up. "Okay, well, I'll get outside and finish up what Bo started on the General. Daisy, you get us our drinks and lunch ready." He turned towards the chair that Bo was sitting on. "You, Cuz, stay put. Until that wind blows from another direction consider yourself housebound."

Bo was about to protest, but a look from his uncle and one finger held up stopped him. "Alright," he reluctantly agreed. "I'll help Daisy with lunch."

The group split up and Bo went to get the plates for the table. As he looked out the window, he could see the garden. It really was pretty, he thought. Too bad something so nice made him so miserable.

Daisy walked up beside him. "Whatcha thinking, Bo?"

He smiled at her. "Just what a good job you've done. Did I ever tell you that you are really talented with color? I'm lucky to have a cousin with such talents."

She hugged him. "Thanks, Bo, but I'm the lucky one."

"Nah," he said as he wiggled his eyebrows, making her giggle. "That kind to talent is nothing to sneeze at." They then broke up into deep laughter that carried along the summer breeze.

End


End file.
